“Own your own development” we’ve been told. In an age of overload we need to RE-think how to cultivate our own personal leadership development. Though I must take responsibility to make wise choices, ultimately it’s God who causes the growth in my life. Below are four proven pathways to personal growththat fellow leaders have passed along to me and have now become lifetime habits.

1. Expose yourself to other leaders and study how they lead.Good leaders are all around us. How do they make decisions? How do they create an environment for productive group interaction? How do they inspire hope while authentically revealing their own struggles and doubts?Buy someone lunch and ask him or her how they balance the eternal leadership tensions between people and production;setting direction and releasing others; short-term results and long-term impact.

2. Read deep and wide.Scan broadly. Constantly skim, noticing trends in topics and conversations. Get to know a handful of ancient and contemporary authors’ voices. As you identify authors and bloggers that speak to you, follow their thinking through the years. Yes, years. You’re in this for the long haul, right?Read and reread selectively. Reflect, chew, pray, and digest. Seek wisdom and personal transformation. If you need some ideas, here’s my 2010 Leadership Reading List.3. Embrace divine displacement.Consider these personal LD plans: Moses spent 40 years in the desert (twice), Joseph languished 13 years in prison, Ruth endured famine for 10 years then became widowed, and David hid in caves for 7 years. Interviews with hundredsof business and ministry leaders consistently reveal that the majority of developmental experiencesoccur in-the-trenches (32%), during timesof significant transition (27%), or in personal relationships(23%). Note that formal training content is a distant fourth. Leaders develop asthey are doing their work and leading on the edge of their comfort zones.*One essentialdevelopmental taskof Christian leadershipinvolves forging apersonaltheology of sufferingthat embraces blocked goals, unmet expectations and brokenpeople(see Romans 5:3-5). God’s LD plan typically leads us towardwhole-hearted dependence upon him rather than findingeasier ways to make life work without him.4. Act on what you know.“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17). No matter what scope of responsibility you’ve been entrusted with, leading and serving other people gets complicated. There will always be more great ideas to consider, more trends to analyze,more people to consult, and more needs than you can possibly meet. Today’s information explosion can freeze us into analysis paralysis. Effective leaders focus their actions andown the gap between knowing and doing.In our noisy world Jesus’ voice beckons:Act on what you know.

Join the conversation: What is working (or lacking) in your personal approach to leadership development?

About Ken Cochrum: Vice President of Global Strategy, Campus Crusade for Christ
Orlando, Florida
I met Ann at age 7 and married her 3 weeks after graduating from the University of Texas. Since then our approach to life has been : When in doubt about the will of God, take the path on which the shadow of the Cross falls. We’ve been enjoying a journey of reckless abandonment in following Jesus ever since.

Hi Ken, those are good pointers.
I like the Embrace Divine Displacement part. It’s all too natural to see blocked goals and obstacles as just that: blocked pathways. But God uses them as part of our development process too. Particularly, I think divine displacements help us learn to wait upon Him and trust Him.

I like reading too. But I could never find enough time to read all the good books. How do you prioritize even among the best authors?

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hi Richard,
Great to see you here. You’re right: learning to actively wait upon God is crucial to my development. The longer I live (and the more goals I have blocked), the deeper I come to appreciate the Lord’s kindnesses in having me wait until his perfect timing comes into play.

As for reading: When Amy, our second child, was born about 18 years ago I realized that I needed to get up an hour earlier each day (5 a.m.) in order to find sufficient quiet time. The other usual demands of life forced prioritization. I discovered that most authors have a few great ideas that are included in the forward and first two chapters of their books. Unfortunately, publishers need 10-12 chapters in order to sell books. The key for me is identifying which chapters hold my interest stimulate new thinking. Rarely do I read a book cover-to-cover today. Novels and biographies tend to be the exception.

I ask other people I respect “What have you read lately?” and base a lot of my prioritization on their recommendations. I also look on Amazon for new releases by my favorite authors.

I’ve had a Kindle for a year now and love it (as well as the iphone Kindle app). I travel frequently and those tools help me redeem time in 5-15 minutes bursts as I find myself hurrying up to wait….

http://www.seabourn.org/ Keith Seabourn

Thanks for practical advice, Ken, that we can put into action. I resonate with your four paths, especially act on what you know. I think we try to THINK ourselves into a new reality rather than BEHAVE ourselves into a new reality based on biblical truth. I remember when I was first learning about the Spirit-filled life during my junior year of college. I learned to claim God’s filling then behave as if I was filled as I shared Christ, loved others, took exams, and lived life. It was liberating and life changing.

I appreciate all the paths you outlined. I benefit from reading both broadly and deeply. I feel it is important that we connect regularly with leaders from other organizations, not to talk about strategy only but to talk about life and how they live theirs. Actively avoid living only within our own CCC or even our Christian world. And embracing divine displacement is pure gold. I think we suffer from the mistaken concept that if we’re walking in the Spirit obeying Christ, we will not make mistakes. We think all our plans will work out as we planned. But that’s not the story of God’s work among us. He prepares us through displacement. He equips us through suffering. He makes Christ real to others through our disappointments.

Good stuff.

Pam Gaither

Keith, to your last point “we suffer from the mistaken concept that if we’re walking in the Spirit, obeying Christ …”

I agree that’s what we tend to think. I find these good reminders that it’s not sin that necessarily leads us into suffering: “…the branch that bears fruit is pruned so it will bear more fruit”; “…Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested…”

I know I’ve learned so much, and become a deeper and broader person because of the things I’ve suffered. The pain I’ve endured becomes a point of connection with others in their pain.

I didn’t like them at the time, but I am thankful for the “divine displacements” God has called me to walk through so far.

Great insight on behaving ourselves into new reality based on biblical truth. I am reading through the Old Testament right now and deeply impressed by how often the Lord connects hearing with doing. It’s everywhere! The current evangelical reaction to “doing” that primarily emphasizes “being” is really tough to support from Scripture. The two dance together inseparably.

kc

http://www.seabourn.org/ Keith Seabourn

Back again, Ken. I’m reading through the OT now also and am finding the same thing. When I sprinted through the NT earlier this year, I saw the same thing afresh. Things like: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Cor 15:10). The Paul connected grace with his actions and said his actions were the outworking of grace’s effect. Grace is connected with working hard. Still thinking about that.

http://exploringcollegeministry.com/ Benson Hines

I really appreciate your call for all of us to “actively avoid living only within our own [circles].” There’s a lot out there to learn from, and I’m consistently amazed at how walled off we often are (without knowing it).

If you haven’t seen it, that’s the subject of my post today on the Blogference. You might enjoy it!

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Benson,

I loved your post today (and commented on it). You are right on the mark with pushing us to get out of our own comfortable groupthink circles in order to stretch and grow.

kc

http://inkindle.wordpress.com/ Judy Douglass

As always, Ken, good thinking, so helpful. Re divine displacement: Too often, when we experience those blockades and interruptions, we can blame others for causing them. And that may be true, but if focus on those who thwart us, we might not recognize what God is saying/doing, or see how we contributed to the failure, and we might use up valuable spiritual and emotional energy in negative thoughts and attitudes. Your prescription is right on.

Pam Gaither

I’ve also seen a tendency to blame God and move away from Him, rather than deeper into Him. “Deep calls unto deep…”

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Judy, what a privilege to have you in the blogference. Your image of using up valuable spiritual and emotional energy is helpful. Why would I want to do that when I can rest, release and actively wait on the Lord? Yet the pull of my flesh and my own ways of seeking to solve problems are so deeply ingrained. In those situations it helps me to actually visualize embracing the blood-stained splintery wooden cross. Death to self, living in Christ.

kc

http://peekabooglimpses.blogspot.com Julie Hufstetler

I love this, Judy. It’s an honor to receive godly wisdom through your participation in the blogference. I absolutely know I’ve wasted energy and missed opportunities God had for me due to my misplaced heart focusing on others, and my own perception of their role in a detour of my life.

http://www.facebook.com/creacomm Simon Seow

wow… divine displacement! cool phrase. I guess if we can really believe that it’s divine, it would help/lead us to embrace it easier… tho’ I know in reality it’d be different.

I’m not sure if I actually experienced ‘displacement’ per se, but I know experienced disappointments, discouragements or what could be considered diving interruptions when things don’t seem to go ‘my way’. I guess I’ve learned to ask these questions during such times: ‘What is God doing thru this…?’ ‘What is God showing me about me, about Him?’

As I strive to find answers to these questions, (which may take time to come) I find myself eventually grow as a leader, but more as a follower of Christ.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Simon,

Good to see you here, friend. I like your questions, and the piece that you added that answering these questions may take time. I wonder if I’m hearing a call to rediscover the lost art of reflective leadership.

kc

Anne-Marie

To be a leader is to participate fully in community… You cannot lead if there is no one around to lead.
I do not believe we can become leaders on our own… However, personal disciplines are an important part of the process God uses, because his Word corrects and instructs and strengthens and guides us, and transforms our thinking.
In my life, time meditating and studying the life of Christ has pushed me beyond my comfort zone more than anything else. He is the ultimate developer of leaders, and a deep, deep walk with him, in the midst of life, is essential to all the rest.
Accountability and letting people tell us how they truly see us, that also really helps the pruning and preparing process.Learning from those around us and especially under us what they see as areas of strength and areas requiring growth. My kids have challenged me more than anyone else and let me know my weak points and my strenghts more clearly than anyone else. Listening to criticism is vital to leadership development.
I am doing what I am doing today because others saw potential in me that I could not see at all. So I do not believe in self-directed leadership development, but in personal responsability for leadership development, within the context of honest relationships… a different concept.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hi Anne-Marie,

Yours is a great insight on growing in community and allowing others to shape us through accountability and criticism. You surfaced a really crucial element of quality leadership: the willingness to listen. Thanks.

Enjoyed reading your comments and those of others. One of the things that struck me is that leadership learning hardly ever happens in a vacuum.
It is mostly going to happen where we are now with the leadership role we have. In that context, be that a campus worker, CD, national role or mum leading teenage children how do I excel, lead well and get the job done. The immediate focus has challenges and these are the ones that God wants me to focus. This drives me to reading and thinking and talking with others.
Leadership development is not head knowledge not that you are implying that. But to learn a principle and then have to apply this somehow with people in real time is key. That is what results in leadership growth. Somehow the brain (or at least my brain) seldom just stores it away for opportunity in ten years time.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Allan,

Glad to have a strong Aussie voice join the mix! Your point about “real time” development is a good one. That’s why it’s imperative that we keep scanning and reviewing ideas we’ve read before (and also why so many popular leadership books sound repetitive). C.S. Lewis said “We don’t usually need to be instructed, but reminded” or something close to that. As we journey we face similar challenges but with different people and different contexts, thus fresh application of wisdom is demanded.

kc

http://karintome.blogspot.com Karin

As always Ken, thanks.

Just this morning I was reading that the mark of a successful person is in the response to failures, setbacks, “divine displacements.” It’s irrational, I know, but there’s a part of me that really believes the successful person does not make mistakes. Sure, he made mistakes in the past and learned from them — that’s what makes him successful now, right? Wrong. I’m beginning to think that the successful person makes plenty of mistakes, but perhaps doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

I think the response to divine displacements is looking at humanity and divinity. First, humanity. The successful (let’s call her humble) person sees a failure or disappointment and identifies with the rest of humanity. Failing is the essence of being human. We are not perfect, otherwise we would be divine. That also levels the playing field. Frankly, I like it when leaders fail because suddenly I can identify. And when a leader acknowledges his weaknesses — well, I haven’t yet read Allender’s “Leading with a Limp” but perhaps that’s what he is referring to. Humility is the mark of a leader.

Second, divinity. The successful person sees setbacks as a Providential gift to be thankful for. And more than a gift, it’s part of the wilderness journey. The way of the cross is the way of suffering. Disappointment. Rejection. Lonliness. Grace. Power. Refinement. And ultimately glory.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Karin,

Your reply is a breath of fresh air. Thank you. The pressure’s off when we walk in humility and don’t fear making mistakes. One of my mentors in Asia used to say “make original mistakes, just don’t keep making the same ones.”

kc

http://www.hearditonthestreet.com Rich Street

Hey boss!!!! Want to go to lunch sometime???? My treat!!!!!

Does Denver count as divine displacement???

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Yep, I’d love to. How about BBQ next time you’re in town? Thanks!

http://exploringcollegeministry.com/ Benson Hines

Though I don’t apply it enough, I think it can help to third-person yourself a bit: “If I was discipling myself, what NEXT book or resource would I want to read through together?”

This may clear away some of the clutter – because just like the people we disciple, we’re liable to follow rabbit trails of interest instead of rabbit holes of truthful adventure.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Benson,

What a great way to step outside ourselves and objectify the development process. I just thought of a couple of challenges I’d give myself.

kc

Anonymous

i love that question too, a great practical way to put ourselves in the shoes of the people we are serving!

http://brianvirtue.org/ Brian Virtue

I love that question too Benson. A great way to inject some perspective and put ourselves in the shoes of those we influence.

Couldn’t agree more and it’s been the source of my joy in leading in a difficult ministry setting with a very uncertain future. I’m reading a book called The Heart of a Servant Leader where he makes the point that “knowing Christ is more important than doing things for Christ.” I think this is similar to your point and is very freeing for me as a leader.

I think as a leader my joy and sorrow in ministry is often ruled by results. The fact that Christ wants me to always focus on knowing Him and that he’s bringing ME through a process is very comforting. But that’s much easier said than done. When I’m staring at 30 people coming to our meeting down from 60 last semester can I rejoice in the Lord? My real source of joy and worth is tested deeply in that moment and I’m thankful for that testing or else i wouldn’t know. God is doing something in my life through all this! Amazing! Without a theology of suffering I wouldn’t know joy in suffering.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Thanks, Paul. It appears point number 3 has been resonating with a lot of people today. I appreciate your insight and book recommendation.

kc

http://www.keynoteconnection.org Renae Nanney

great post! As I reading the post and several of the comments I was reminded about a book on CD I just finished – Scouting the Divine by Margaret Feinberg. (http://www.margaretfeinberg.com/) In the section on the vintner she focuses a lot on the pruning process and the fact that God, the Father is called the Vine Dresser in John 15; not the owner of the vineyard. The Vine Dresser is the one who knows which branches to prune when in order to yield the best fruit. I don’t think we’re as comfortable as we should be with idea of pruning. Thanks for the reminder to embrace the difficult and learn.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hi Renae,

You’re right. It’s easy to bask in the warm promises of John 15 while forgetting that pruning cuts and really hurts.

kc

http://www.danbirchblog.com Daniel Birch

Hey Ken,

Great blog! I especially like the first point of “expose yourself to others leaders and study how they lead.” I think that is so crucial but I think another important aspect is to EXPOSE yourself to leaders within your own ministry. I have see far too many parachurch leaders be relying on “church models” then learning from men and women in their same ministry. I think its great to be influenced by people in the church when those are the only people you spend time listing too, it really I feel can be harmful.
What do you think about that ken? maybe im wrong:) but would love to hear your thoughts.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Great point, Daniel. To support your idea, I’ve heard that the vast majority of “church leadership/growth” books published in North America are written by pastors of megachurches with over 1,500 in attendance. That’s a very small fraction (less than 15%) of churches. The average church congregation hovers somewhere around 80 and is led by a single pastor who is frequently bi-vocational. These leaders have a lot of wisdom but aren’t usually the ones with the time or publicity needed to get a book published.

Again – there are great leaders all around us: students, coaches, teachers, professors, professionals, restaurant managers, volunteers. All we need to do is look for something being led well and ask “Who is leading this effort and what are they doing right?”

kc

http://www.rowstrategygroup.com Walter Chen

Ken,

Welcome back from your Sabbatical. You highlighted the one area that has helped me: “forging personal theology of suffering that embraces blocked goals, unmet expectations, and broken people.”

These last 24 months have seen me professionally/personally and the Chen’s experiencing “divine displacement.”

I think current macroeconomic events (i.e., global/US recession, rise of China, US and global geopolitical events) are serving as divine displacement for many believers, and more is to come!

One last comment on pathway #1 (study other leaders). On my most recent consulting engagement, I’ve had the chance to observe first hand the CEO of the company leading others. Not sure of his spiritual condition, but he is one of the best examples of leadership I’ve observed.

Walter

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hey Walter,

Glad to see you here. Can you offer one or two specific examples of your CEO’s excellent leadership?

kc

http://www.rowstrategygroup.com Walter Chen

Hey Ken,

Just got out of a meeting with him. A few examples:
1) He is not interested in looking to blame and find fault (i.e., who screwed up). He has consistently told all of the employees that we’re all in this together.

2) He does not allow his frustration to get the best of him while at the same time not glossing over issues. He says what he means, and he means what he says.

It is a reflection of his leadership that I am hard pressed to find ongoing politics and postering. In all my meetings with other executives, I don’t detect folks looking to blame others to make themselves look better.

I’ll continue to think through other examples and post them here.

Walter

http://www.brianbarela.typepad.com/ Brian Barela

thanks walter for those specifics! very helpful and great to know what those at “the top” are doing well.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Thanks for the specific examples, Walter. Leadership is not magical rocket science – it can be learned and taught.
kc

http://synchopat.multiply.com Patrick Ng

Great stuff Ken, as always! And we miss you over here in Singapore! =]

Really loved the 4 points you shared. Esp the divine displacements part… ditto the rest about how the valley times are fertile grounds for God to help us grow deep (foundation/substance), so that we may branch out wide (impact/stature).

May I humbly add one more thing that i thot is crucial, and in a real way affects our ability to do the 4 things you mentioned (or to intentionally develop ourselves as leaders): ‘Create margins/space in our lives’. Maybe it’s assumed in these discussions here, but thot I’d still state the obvious anyways.

I feel this is where a lot of leaders struggle (even fail), including myself. Growth needs room. Space keeps us from having Superman-complexes, and reminds us HE is the Super God. To sharpen our axes, we gotta first stop chopping.

icame to see how badly i needed this only a year ago (after 15 years of continuous high-pace ministry) during my sabbatical. It was a life/ministry saver for me.

“When we live lives without margins, we end up living marginalized lives.” – Pat Ng

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hey Pat,

Amen to adding margin in our lives as leaders! Feel free to restate the obvious.

You may know that I just wrapped up a one-month sabbatical in March. It was wonderful. I feel alive again, with lots of margin – maybe resilience is a better word – in my mind and in my heart. You can read my blog posts about why I took it and what I learned at http://www.onleadingwell.com.

kc

http://synchopat.multiply.com Patrick Ng

Thanx Ken! Will be dropping by often to glean from your leadership journey. You’ve inspired many of us in SG in this area of leading well… =]

Deb Heefner

Ken, great thoughts to chew on! And Patrick, I couldn’t agree with you more that it’s key that we have “space” in our lives for the inner workings of God to take root. Henri Nouwen has a quote that I have plastered all over my office and my computer desktop: “Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our Master and where we can respond freely to God’s guidance.” The busyness and demands of ministry and leadership can way too easily absorb my life and my time, thus limiting my capacity and willingness to give God the gift of my attention. Like you, a sabbatical last spring definitely “saved” my life and ministry as well, where more than anything I was challenged to live in a way that regularly gives God the space to truly Master me!

http://synchopat.multiply.com Patrick Ng

Awesome Deb! So cool to find kindred spirits! I so agree with all that you said.

Thanx for the reply. =]

http://www.facebook.com/creacomm Simon Seow

Love the quote by Henri Nouwen that you highlighted, Deb.
Thks Pat for the additional thoughts you added about ‘margins’. I couldn’t agree with you more!

Just this morning I was spending time with a friend and he talked about the desperate need we have to nurture and nourish our heart… I think I have a tendency to think of this ONLY as an ‘active’ process, where I DO something. But I would venture to say that nurturing & nourishing our heart would include so-called PASSIVE ‘structures’ we put in place (or margins or space that we create) to allow us room to breathe & grow.

The picture I’m seeing is that of planting or growing crops, isn’t there some rationale for not planting them too close. I definitely not an expert here (someone help…)but I would imagine that space & margins are definitely needed if these plants or crops are to grow healthily. =)

andrea

There are so many illusions about leaders and how they develop. I am continually impressed that the Lord tests our trustworthiness with His agenda in all kinds of ways– our obedience to what He shows us, our response to Him in the midst of different kinds of suffering, our willingness to embrace His agenda in our lives rather than our own. He is looking to support those “whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” this is first and foremost– He will use any number of circumstances and situations to get us in a place where He is all that matters.

A second illusion is that leaders always know what to do next. They know where to go first!! Part of the shaping process is to train our inclinations to Him first, rather than our experience, our strategies, or any other thing.

Staying on His agenda requires a different sort of “training.” He helps us develop this focus when we are in His gym, usually the difficulties of life.

http://www.brianbarela.typepad.com/ Brian Barela

“A second illusion is that leaders always know what to do next. They know where to go first!!”

wow that encouraged me greatly. thanks for sharing that.

http://www.infinitequeso.com/ Stephanie Nannen

Ken,

Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us. I really like all four of your on-ramps…but I’ll have to agree with the majority…#3, “divine displacement,” is what resonated with me the most.

For all of my previous life and campus ministry experience, I can safely say that nothing, NOTHING, even comes close to the stripping bare of my soul—and prayerfully re-shaping into His image and forging me into a true leader—than motherhood has. I’m certain I never would have chosen on my own such a level of dying to self and working almost exclusively out of my weaknesses…God had to move me into that. And yet I often struggle with viewing motherhood as a displacement from “real” ministry. Particularly parenting special needs children, which often feels like an even deeper level of “displacement.” (I know the “right answers” about the significance of motherhood. But still the struggle is still there for me. That’s why I loved Julie Hufstetler’s Blogference post today, as well.)

[Yea, even as I am trying to form coherent, grown-up thoughts on the computer, I was just called upstairs to snuggle with one of my wee ones who woke up from a bad dream. Time to practice embracing a small displacement! :)]

I had an ongoing conversation with God last summer where I asked, “God, isn’t there a way I can enjoy deep intimacy with You, and be used mightily by You, but without the suffering?” And the answer seemed to be, “No, apparently you can’t. You are too selfish and prideful.”

Thanks for “zooming out” on this issue and giving us perspective. I know God will be faithful to lovingly displace me…thanks for the reminder that it’s up to me to embrace His processes.

http://www.onleadingwell.com/ Ken Cochrum

Hi Steph,

Thanks for honestly sharing your current challenge and the spirit of embracing God’s season with suffering. Did you really post at 3:23 am?

I just finished recommending your InfiniteQueso blog to another woman on my team who has yearnings to write. You are a great model.

kc

http://www.infinitequeso.com/ Stephanie Nannen

Wow, 3:23am…I’ve been up late these days, but not that late! The time stamp might be from a non-U.S. time zone?

Thanks so much for the encouragement! And thanks again for posting.

Karen Livingstone

Hi Ken!
Thanks so much for these 4 things.

I think sometimes “divine displacement” can come in the simple form of going through a change in role, location or team.

When I think of the last 2 years for Mike and I, I visualize a huge boat making this very slow but massive turn. For me, (and Mike too) my daily life is incredibly different than it was 2 years ago. We live in a different country, have different roles and now have a 1 year old. I think the changes we have and are going through have opened us up once again to change and growth in our development.

And interestingly, while a major focus right now is taking care of a little one, which you would think would shut down some of my growth options, I feel like I’m starting to think more about my own personal growth and development. And, the neat thing about the 4 things you mentioned is that anyone can do these things… even a Mom who is at home a good portion of the day.

I won’t make this too much longer but I also need to give a shout out to Ann. I heard her say once that she decided as a young Mom that she would make it her habit to give the first break in her day to the Lord to spend time with Him. When I heard her share this I also decided that would be my habit when I had kids, and that has been such a good decision, I have had some wonderful times with the Lord, and have also gotten some good reading in. (Of course, with a baby, that first break of the day is also sometimes a time to crash…)

Hope you are both doing well!
Karen Livingstone

Zandy Keliduan

Hi Ken.
Thanks so much for this article. As a staff I’m so inspired and motivated how our founding father (Bill Bright) and president now Steve Douglass lead us. I see how they heart focus on God vision and how they keep themselves to be a models in holiness and relation among staff and others.
I think when we lead people they more see on how we can be a model not how much we talking about. Maybe they hear about our theory but when we act something that can change their mindset, heart and habit, it’s more effective to developing them. There are I’m working now.
But actually I need your advice how we can give input if we know someone there is someone who on top leader when we know he/she do something wrong. Thank you.